Chapter 6: Fever Dreams and Village Doctor

The wild spirit own spirit cold too much.

Just that small touch, I feel cold enter my body. I begin dey shiver like goat wey rain beat. Even mosquito dey pity me that night.

That night, fever catch me well. My body dey burn, but inside dey cold. I wrap myself with three wrappers.

By morning, I no fit get up. My eyes dey heavy, my body dey weak, my mind dey float like canoe for river.

Wild spirit room quiet—he don waka again. I hear no sound, no cough, no mutter. Maybe e don waka enter spirit world go report my case.

Go your way, go your way. For my mind, I dey talk say, "Oya, carry your wahala go, no use my head play."

Papa, Mama, your pikin dey come meet una soon. My chest dey pain me, I just dey wish for quick end.

As I dey sleep, I dream see my parents. I see dem stand under big mango tree, one for right, one for left. I dey wave, dey call dem. One wear black, one wear white, their face no clear.

Their faces blend with light, like say morning sun dey hide am. I dey try stretch hand. Just as I wan follow them go, wild spirit rush enter.

He break enter dream with noise. “Doctor! Abeg help my pikin, make fever no fry him brain!”

I open my eye small. Sunlight dey blind me, but I fit see two shadow. One na wild spirit papa, the other na old doctor wey get plenty white beard.

See say na the old doctor from two villages away. Na man wey people fear, but respect. E no dey leave him house unless case serious well well.

Before Mama die, na him I dey buy medicine from—him money no cheap at all. One time, he charge us so tey we sell chicken join. All our savings finish that time. I dey remember, that day we even pawn Mama's old beads.

“Your first born catch cold. Give am this medicine see how e go be.”

He hand over small black powder, eyes serious like judge for customary court.

Old doctor bring him box, quick quick pick medicine give wild spirit. He mix the medicine for small calabash, tell wild spirit how to give me.

Wild spirit smile, pay am. I shock, I dey watch the two of dem. Wild spirit count cowries, hand over like big man.

He ask, “How I go cook this medicine? Abeg show me.”

He humble for voice, even bend head small. Doctor no even vex. Doctor no vex, just explain everything well. Old man use pidgin, draw diagram for sand. E talk am like say e dey teach primary school pikin.

Inside me, I dey wonder. My mind dey turn like grinding stone. Who be this spirit wey dey care?

Wild spirit no be my real papa, why e dey treat my sickness? I dey reason say if e be real spirit, e for let me die so e fit claim house alone. If I die, nobody go know who he be.

I dey fear, dey wonder if na new trick.

Wait o. Where this money from? If food finish, where e see money treat me?

I dey turn the question for head. Spirit dey pluck money from air? Or e get power pass?